Former GM CEO Bob Stempel Dies Aged 77

General Motors was once the largest carmaker company in the world, and it was lead my men who were often larger than life themselves. Though countless GM executives have helped shape the Detroit automaker into the company it is today, some of the company's leaders over the past 100 years stand out as central figures in the company's storied history.

One such man, former CEO Bob Stempel, has passed away in Florida at the venerable age of 77. The blue-collar exec started his career with the automotive giant back in 1958, when he worked as an engineer with Oldsmobile and worked his way up the ladder, After running Pontiac, Opel and the Buick-Oldsmobile-Cadillac group, Stempel was named CEO in 1990, succeeding Roger Smith.

The former CEO was also involved with the development of the catalytic converter and he even pushed for the EV1 electric car. After his time at the head of the company ended with an ugly boardroom coup, Stempel devoted his time to other green technologies, such as solar power.

"The General Motors family mourns the passing of Bob Stempel, who admirably led the company during very difficult times in the early 1990s. Bob was a very popular chairman with employees, and his many accomplishments as a visionary engineer included leading the development of the catalytic converter, one of the great environmental advancements in auto history. His knowledge of battery development led to the push for the EV1 electric car, and Bob continued to build his expertise in the electrification of the automobile after he left GM in 1992," the company said in a statement issued Monday.